


A Map To Trespass

by zzegnas



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-11 23:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zzegnas/pseuds/zzegnas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam is lost when he befriends a ghost.  They meet in different stages of Liam's life and, with each other's help, find their way back home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Map To Trespass

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, this piece. I began this back in the summer, after reading [Le Revenant](http://fleursdumal.org/poem/171) by Charles Baudelaire, and was about halfway done when I set it aside for other projects. I had every intention of bringing it back once I tinkered around with a few bits and bobs, so I'm quite happy it's turned out the way it did :)
> 
>  **Sidenote** : Aside from the additional tags, there are brief mentions of bullying and death, though it's nothing too graphic (I hope). Also, I've genderswapped Niall, but did not tag it since the appearance is brief.
> 
> A million thanks to [Any](http://archiveofourown.org/users/cmdf) for the beta!!
> 
> Title from [Trespass](http://youtu.be/OCbzsfPEK50) by Andy Moor.

The cherry orchard in the woods bear the best fruit in all of the town, but the townsfolk fear the ghost that haunts its grounds. Stories were told of a young man who planted a row of cherry trees for his sisters as a gift. They watched it grow, its fruit overwhelmingly bountiful during the summer months. Soon, the young man planted more trees that grew just as abundantly, and his wealth prospered along with his new status as a gentleman.

On one sunny summer afternoon, the young man and his sisters gathered their harvest into a wicker basket, occasionally stealing a cherry or two for a treat. The sisters ran off to play in the fields nearby, leaving their older brother to gather the rest of their bounty. Their playful laughter lasted for a moment’s time when a shot rang through the air and into the heart of the young man. The shot was quick, but the pain—the kind some live for—was so unbearably excruciating that it numbed all hope that he could no longer protect his sisters.

The young man fell to his knees, his heart beating its last rhythm. He put a hand to his chest, his blood shed among the cherry trees that bore his family name. The cries of his sisters rang through his ears, and he took one last look at the girls he adored, the girls who smiled when he tucked them in at night, and laughed as he played with them.

One last breath knowing it was the end.

—

Liam is five years old when he wanders away from his family and into the woods.

Curious of his surroundings, he strays too far and tearfully calls for his mother, hoping to hear her voice calling back for him. He screams for what seems to be an eternity, his tears clouding his sight. Scared and lost, he sits under a tree full of cherry blossoms, and prays that his parents will find him somehow. Instead, a man—or at least a boy dressed as one—emerges across from Liam, walking slowly under the tree branches, his feet weightlessly gliding over the dried leaves.

Liam is confused by the man’s strange clothes, compared to the jeans and puffy jacket his mother had picked out for him.  The man wears a pair of black trousers, a white flowy dress shirt tucked in with the collar unbuttoned, and a slim black waistcoat that shows off his thin frame.  The boots he wears over the legs of his trousers heighten his stance, walking proud and chivalrous.

Despite appearances, Liam finds himself in awe of the ghostly glow radiating from his rescuer, never mind that he may or may not be in danger.  A rush of wind circles around Liam, letting out a soft whimper from the chill. The man kneels down, curious and fascinated by the tearful young boy.

"Why do you shed your tears?" he asks, his voice but a ghostly echo.

"I've lost my mum and dad,” Liam begins to cry again. “I can't find them."

The man reaches out to Liam, his cold, mist-like hands wiping away the tears that seem to fall endlessly on his rosy cheeks. "I, too, have lost my parents," he says sadly. "But you still have yours, and I know they are looking for you, like mine."

"Who are you?" Liam asks with a hiccup. "What's your name?"

"Louis," he answers softly. Liam puts his little fingers in Louis's palm when he holds out his hand, unaware it was meant to be a handshake. "What is yours, little prince?"

"I'm not a prince," his lip trembles, tears still welling in his eyes. "My name is Liam."

“Come, Liam. Let’s take you home.”

And so, Louis guides Liam back to his family, holding his hand until Liam is back in the arms of his mother and father. Liam tells his parents of the man who helped him, pointing in the direction of the woods, but finds Louis is gone when he looks back.

"But he was here, I was holding his hand!" Liam cries as his mother tries to calm him down. “He called me a prince, Mum, I know he’s real.”

His parents only pretend to believe his story, forbidding him to go near the woods again for his safety.

—

A year passes when Liam wanders into the woods again late at night, this time having heard of the story of the cherry orchard. His teacher read the tale to his class, touting the ghost as a murderous spirit who was out for revenge. Liam refused to believe her; refused to believe the man who helped him get back to his family could harm anyone. And now he’s back to see Louis, to prove to his teacher that the hand he held was as real as his mother's.

Liam finds himself lost again, searching for the tree where he once sat. It seems he can only ever find Louis when he doesn't know his own surroundings. Walking farther and farther away from home, Liam finally finds the blossomed trees and runs to them, calling out for Louis.

"Louis! It's me, Liam!" he happily shouts. "Please come out, I know you're here."

"Why, if it isn't the little prince! How happy I am that you have come to visit me."

Liam lights up when he turns to face Louis, looking exactly the way he did when they last met. Liam giddily bounces on his feet, his hands rubbing his aching cheeks from smiling so much.

"You're here, you're here!" Liam squeals, hugging Louis's legs. "My teacher told me you kill people, but she's lying! I know who you really are, you're my friend! My favourite friend!"

"And you are my only friend," Louis smiles when Liam looks up at him. "If I may speak freely, I must admit your teacher has been ill informed of my existence!  Only a wise boy like yourself could know the truth about me."

"But is it true? These trees belong to you? And-and-and you can make them blow up if someone's mean to you? A girl in my class told me your cherries are poisoned! But she can’t eat a lot of stuff and she eats food for dogs and—"

"One at a time, Liam!" Louis laughs, bending down to pinch Liam's rosy cheeks. Liam feels the ice cold jolt from Louis’s hand, but chooses to ignore it for the warmth he feels in his heart. "Indeed, I planted these trees, they were gifts for my sisters. But I have not seen them in so long and I miss them very much."

"Are they in school like me?" Liam asks curiously, but Louis does not answer. "My sister goes away a lot and I miss her, too. She gives me presents when she comes home, but sometimes," he looks around suspiciously, whispering, "I don't like them. Don’t tell or she’ll get mad, okay? Promise me, please."

Louis puts a finger to his lips and winks at Liam, a silent agreement that his secret is safe. "Perhaps, in time, I will see my sisters again. They have been looking for me, yet I cannot be with them.”

“Why not, Louis? Don’t they know you’re here?” Liam asks, anxiously tugging the hem of Louis's waistcoat.

Louis smiles at him, but again, he does not answer. “Come now, no more questions. I will take you back home, you must be awfully tired."

"But I don’t want to go, I’m not sleepy!" Liam whines, letting out a yawn right after. "I came to see you, I want to stay here and play."

"And here, I shall be when you return," Louis assures him. "But it is quite late now, and tonight’s moon will offer you no light. You are far from home and you mustn't worry your parents like this again."

“No, I don’t want to! I want to stay with you, don’t make me go.”  Louis immediately kneels down as Liam begins to cry, opening his arms when Liam stands on his tip toes and hugs Louis’s neck. Louis quietly shushes him, holding a tearful Liam until his little sobs turn into sniffles and hiccups.

"Dearest Liam, I did not mean to make you cry. I promise I shall never do so again." Louis wipes away the remaining tears on Liam’s cheeks, nuzzling his cold finger over Liam’s nose to make him smile.

"I'll miss you, I always do." Liam hugs him again, then takes Louis’s hand in his.

"And I shall miss you until we meet again, little prince."

—

Several years later, Liam is at the edge of the woods, running from a group of boys ready to beat him into submission.  Liam often falls prey to their torment at school, though he does not know why.  He’s devised diversions to evade their harassment, memorized the recesses of his entire school as his sanctuaries, and yet they still find ways to torment him despite his efforts.  Liam refuses to tell his parents what is happening to him, hoping if he stays quiet enough, his hellish nightmare will end.

Now Liam is heading for the orchard, feeling every bit of his younger self coming back to the place he’s always known. Liam manages to dodge one of the boys that grabs his arm, and kicks another from getting anywhere near him. The shouting becomes even louder and Liam panics, knowing he has nowhere to hide.

Running even faster, he recognizes the familiar trees and keeps going, paying no attention to the searing burn under his feet. The cherry trees that were once in bloom are now stark naked, its branches bereft of their beautiful blossoms. The strength in Liam's legs heighten and he screams for Louis, only to feel a hand grab his shoulder when he screams Louis’s name again. Liam trips over an exposed root in the ground, and covers his face to block the punches and profanities he doesn't deserve.

A hard kick to the stomach weakens Liam and he gasps for air, clinging to the dried fallen blossoms under his hands. A rush of cold wind passes over Liam, and the screams that were aimed at him were suddenly screaming for help. Liam is too frail to move, his vision too blurry to make out that _someone_ was scaring his tormentors away—hoping this moment would get them to finally leave him alone.

The sound of leaves crunch under a pair of leather boots, each step growing louder and louder until it stops just inches away from Liam.

"Louis," he barely whispers, "is it you?" Liam lets out a sharp gasp when he feels the familiar, mist-like hand on his cheek, his pain gone from the touch of frost.

"The little prince, now a young man," Louis says in his comforting tone, kneeling beside Liam. "Who dares to hurt you?"

"Just some boys from school," Liam weakly says. “Are they gone?”

“Undoubtedly, Liam. Tell me what has brought you back here with such urgency.”

"Those boys were chasing me and–" he takes several deep breaths, the impact of the kick still looming over his stomach. "They torture me.  They make fun of me and hurt me.  I’m defenseless against them and I just want it to stop."

"And you sought my help?"

"I didn't know where else to go," Liam bites his trembling lip. "This was the only place I could think of."

"You mustn't go looking for trouble, young prince," Louis says worriedly. He helps Liam sit up, his ghostly hands brushing Liam's wavy hair aside.

"Trouble is my middle name, didn't I tell you?" Liam laughs despite Louis’s worried sigh, coughing a little while holding his stomach.

"You cannot let them win. You cannot sit back and hope everything will go away at will."

"I stayed quiet for too long, Louis.  I finally got my chance to get back at them and look what happened."

Louis sadly looks at him, lifting Liam's chin with his finger.  "Only _you_ can make yourself stronger.  Prove it to yourself you can defeat them, and I will be sure they are never to touch you again." The confidence Louis instills in Liam is enough to get him to rethink his silence. Tired and restless from his journey, Liam leans forward, tipping his forehead against Louis's for a while.

Minutes later, Louis rids Liam's clothes of the dried leaves that cling to him. “Are you well enough now, young prince?”  Liam nods and Louis helps him to his feet.  “I have awaited your return, Liam, though I admit I did not imagine it would be a moment such as this.”

“Neither did I,” Liam says, disappointed.  “Are you ashamed of me?”

“Never.  You do me proud being yourself.”

Liam stares at Louis, his ghostly body glowing despite the sunset behind him. He was just a child when he last saw Louis, how his five-year old self felt so comfortable speaking to a ghost of a man who supposedly haunted these woods. But now Liam is fifteen, and he's sure in his heart Louis is just as real at this very moment as he was when they first met. Liam slowly reaches out for Louis, his shaking hand touching the cheek that felt ice cold under his fingertips.

"Do you feel anything? Anything at all?"

Louis puts his hand over Liam's, its weightless touch like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. "I have not felt human touch in centuries. It is not a constant craving, but I do not stray when I feel its urge." Liam brings Louis's hand to his chest, hoping Louis can feel his heartbeat. "I know my hands may feel cold, young prince, but they can be as warm as yours if I believe it."

—

Heartbreak is not on the list of unexpected experiences for Liam. What was to be a day to celebrate his nineteenth year on Earth, turned into a funeral of dignity. He runs off to the woods in the dead of night, hoping to escape his heartache on his favourite day of the year. It's too dark for him to see anything with his torch, but he knows exactly where he's going, and who it is he needs to appease his pain.

"Louis!" Liam shouts, frantically looking around. "Are you here?"

The late night chill seeps through the air, making Liam shiver through his wool coat. He points his torch everywhere he looks, hoping to see Louis, but finds nothing but endless rows of trees. His heart starts to race, despite knowing this is where he'd last seen his friend. The familiar cherry trees still had some of their leaves, but even in darkness they offer no solace to Liam.

"No," Liam's voice trembles. "Please tell me you're still here, don't leave me."

"Young prince, what is your will?"

Liam lets out a relieved sigh when he turns around, finding Louis with a smile before he exchanges it for a frown. "I sense you have been crying again," Louis says sadly. "I feel we often meet in your times of sadness, a pattern I am sure of."

Liam runs to give him a hug, and holds him as tightly as possible. Louis's ghostly whispers of comfort calm Liam's nerves, the familiar touch of frost gently holding Liam. "I thought you were gone, but I knew you'd be here, like always."

"My dear Liam," Louis says heartily, holding Liam’s face in his hands. "How happy I am to see you! Let me take a look at you." Liam takes a step back, holding his torch upwards to illuminate himself. "My, what a broad, commanding stance you have now. This is certainly a change from the last time we met."

"A good change?" Liam smiles, and Louis gives him an appreciative nod.

"You came here with great purpose." Louis reaches for Liam, tucking one of his wild waves behind an ear. "And yet, here you are, from what I fear may be a broken heart." Liam scrunches his lips together, biting them to keep them from trembling, and quickly wipes away his tears.

"Oh, young prince," Louis says apologetically. "I made a promise never to make you cry again and look what I have done! Do forgive me and my careless act."

"It’s not your fault,” Liam assures him. “My girlfriend, she um, she broke up with me," he says quietly. "We were together for over a year and out of the blue she decided we shouldn't be together anymore." Liam sniffles, quickly wiping his nose with the sleeve of his coat. "Happy birthday to me, I suppose."

"Is it your birthday?" Louis asks, surprised. "How old are you now?"

"Nineteen," Liam smiles weakly. "I was five when we first met, and again when I was six."

"And once more when you were–"

“Fifteen. I was different then."

"And still so young. I may not understand your heartache, Liam, but I know you will find love again. And I trust it will be just as amazing as the first time you felt it."

"Will it?” Liam asks, shaking his head. “I felt like throwing everything out of my bedroom earlier, but being here with you now–" Liam looks up at Louis, his expression as curious as ever. "I feel like she never existed. Like I could never feel that pain."

"I always soothe your heart, do I not?" Louis chuckles, pressing his cold hand over Liam's chest. "Soon, you will not need me to do that. I fear our time is limited now."

"Don't say that," Liam says with bated breath, "say you'll always be here."

"And I will, for you, Liam. But as you grow in age, I may not have all the answers you seek. I only lived so long, what else am I to offer you?"

Liam swallows hard, immediately thinking of what he never thought to ask his friend. "Then offer me your last moments. Tell me how you died. I only know what you do here, but I’d like to know what happened."

Louis hesitates for a moment, then walks around Liam, running his hand along the trunk of a cherry tree. His fingers stay in one area, tapping it in time with Liam's heartbeat. "My sisters and I came here with our baskets to pick our summer harvest, perhaps the most magnificent I had ever seen my trees grow!  And as I watched my darling sisters playing in the fields, I felt a sharp pain in my chest," he turns to Liam, his face full of undoubted pain. "It was here,” Louis draws an X over Liam’s heart, “the bullet that ended everything.”

"You were shot?" Liam asks, shocked. "But why? You were just picking fruit, that's no reason to shoot someone!"

"The primitive weapons of choice by the dueling parties were not made with careful precision. I was unfortunate to have made my presence known when those two boys set out to settle a petty score." Louis tilts his head up to the night sky, his eyes glimmering with diamond-like tears. "Oh, Liam, it was so loud when it happened. My sisters screamed so much that it is often all I hear some nights. I never realized how much blood could spill from my body until that day.”

“A duel?” Liam whispers. “But how did you know?”

“They hadn’t any idea they were on my land, and it was not until they heard my sisters screaming that something had gone terribly wrong. I lived long enough to say goodbye, but it pains me even more to know I never saw them grow up. I know they have passed on to another life, but I cannot do the same until I know how they lived. It was only the five of us for so long, who took care of them after I died? Who did they marry? What of the surviving descendants that still bear our name? That is what keeps me here, aside from our meetings."

“That's," Liam pauses, his throat hollow, "that’s your unfinished business, isn’t it?  You want to know what happened to your sisters.”

Louis nods, wiping his last tear.  “And here lies Louis Tomlinson, beloved son and brother.” Liam runs to him, wrapping his arms around the ghostly figure he's known his whole life. "I do not mean to haunt this place on purpose," Louis softly tells Liam when they pull away. "I planted these trees with my hands, Liam. I guard them to protect the only memory of my old life."

"Do you wish you could go back?” Liam softly asks. “Do you wish you could just redo that moment to live a little longer to be with your sisters?" Louis puts a finger to Liam's lips, shushing him to keep him from asking anymore questions.

"No more, young prince. You are much too inquisitive for someone with a broken heart," Louis fakes a smile, lightly tapping the tip of Liam's nose. "Let your heart rest, I feel it is what you need."

"This is where you take me home, isn't it?" Liam frowns, hanging his head. "I'm sorry I said all of that, I meant no harm."

"No one could hurt me, Liam. Especially you."

Louis takes Liam's hand, quietly walking through the woods together like they've always done. But this time, Liam feels at peace with himself. His heartache over his ex-girlfriend feels like a distant memory now, though his heart still needs to heal. The road leading to his house comes into view and Louis stops, knowing he cannot go any further.

"I believe this is where my journey ends."

"Thank you, Louis," Liam smiles. "Thank you for always being here."

They hug again, and Louis holds on to Liam just a little longer. "Happy birthday, young prince."

—

During Liam’s second year of university, he meets a girl named Niall in class, along with her two inseparable friends, Harry and Zayn. They form a study group and in the months they get to know each other, Liam harbors a secret crush on Niall, but cannot bring himself to admit it to her. He fears he’s too boring and studious for her, an absolute mismatch compared to her energetic personality.

He is surprised one night, just three weeks into a new quarter, when Zayn brings up the topic of ghosts and spirits for a writing class they’re both taking. Zayn mentions the death of his grandfather having an impact on his life, so much that he used to imagine he was still around as a coping mechanism.

“I have someone like that,” Liam confesses. Zayn eggs him on to tell the group. “His name is Louis, I’ve known him since I was five.”

“Didn’t hear a single word in the past tense,” Harry raises a curious brow.

“So do you still see him?” Zayn asks, now as curious as Harry.

“I haven’t in a while, actually.” Harry and Zayn sit closer to Liam, ridding him of his personal space. “I know it sounds weird, but he’s as real as you and I. He’s been there for me ever since I got lost in the woods and took me home.”

“Tell us about Louis. Anything you want us to know,” Niall tells him.

She reaches for Liam’s hand across the table, and he feels that spark Louis once told him would come back. It isn’t love just yet, it’s much too early for that, but it’s certainly a stronger feeling with Niall. Liam is sometimes lost in his attraction to her, how incredibly smart she is, the way she laughs at his silly jokes and tells the most amazing stories. There’s a flicker of understanding in her eyes, and Liam tells her everything she wants to know about his ghostly friend.

“Louis has never asked me for help,” Liam finishes, “but I want to do this for him, it's the one thing I want to give him before he leaves.”

“Maybe we can look up his genealogy!” Zayn quips, to which Harry agrees. “I’m sure it’ll be a piece of cake if we have all the right ingredients. We’ll get our hands just as dirty as yours if you do it.”

“You’d do that? Seriously?” Liam asks, astonished.

“Think of it like a treasure hunt,” Niall suggests. “All you’re doing is following the right path before you find what you’re looking for. Every treasure hunt starts with a map, and from my perspective, it starts with Louis's sisters and ends with Louis finding his way home.”

They spend weeks researching and gathering as many clues as they can find, running into hurdles when they realize there are way too many people with Louis’s surname all over the country. Liam gives up on the search for a while, remembering he still has other classes to pass, eventually returning to it months later.

—

Just before Easter break, a reprieve comes in the form of Niall’s Art History professor. Niall had mentioned Liam’s genealogy search to her in passing, only to find out Professor Hastings is surprisingly related to the Tomlinson family. She invites Liam and the group to her home for tea the following weekend, revealing her great-aunt Daisy was the last to bear the family surname. As she’s brewing the tea and serving biscuits to the four friends, she also brings along a small antique chest full of old papers and photographs.

Louis’s family history is finally in front of Liam, sifting through vintage photos and old heirlooms passed down for nearly a century and a half. Professor Hastings had taken a great deal to restore the artifacts when she discovered them in her grandmother’s attic, discovering a new chapter in a book of her family tree.

She tells the foursome what they need to hear about the Tomlinson sisters, recording everything on a portable voice recorder, so Liam doesn’t miss a single word. She spends close to an hour telling her family stories and Liam is saddened when she brings it to an end. As the group takes a breather, Professor Hastings takes a seat next to Liam, blowing cool wisps of air over her fresh cup of tea.

“Liam, I’ve been more than happy to tell you everything you’d like to know, but may I ask why you’ve chosen my family?” she asks, taking a sip. “Most people would want to know about their own families, yet you’re rather curious of mine.”

Liam looks around the room, at anything and everything that isn’t Professor Hastings or his friends. He’s nervous to the bone, frightened she’ll laugh at him and even worse, his friends will turn on him for believing in such a stupid idea. He always thought having a ghost for a friend was normal, especially when lots of children have imaginary friends. But Liam is a grown man, and the prospect of never having Louis in his life seems like the worst idea he could ever think of.

“I was told a story when I was a child,” Liam begins, taking a deep breath. “A ghost haunted the woods near my home and it supposedly killed whoever came near the cherry orchard. It’s true that a ghost lives there, but he doesn’t kill anyone—I know this because he didn’t kill me when I was there.”

“And you’re absolutely sure of this ghost being related to my family?”

“Yes, because the–” Liam pauses, afraid of her reaction. Niall immediately looks at him from across the room, her eyes gently coaxing him to continue. “The ghost is Louis,” he shakily lets out, “the older brother of your great-aunts.”

Professor Hastings nearly drops her tea cup, staring at Liam in shock. She excuses herself for a moment and Liam rubs his eyes in frustration, knowing he would scare her off like this. Niall runs to Liam and encourages him to stay focused, but he’s too embarrassed to even look at her. Even with the way Professor Hastings is making a ruckus in the next room, he thinks she might be calling the insane asylum, telling them to come and collect this silly boy with his silly ghost stories.

“I think,” Professor’s voice echoes as she reenters, “this might be of some use to you, Liam. This was in my aunt’s possession for a while, kept in an old desk until the termites got to it. Thankfully, this survived.”

She settles a petite brown leather book on the table, its edges yellow and frayed. Liam carefully opens it at her discretion, finding a vintage photograph of none other than Louis and his four sisters. The makeshift photo album dates all the way back to 1896, when nearly all gentlemen like Louis dressed to the nines. Liam gapes the last photo at the end, stunned at Louis’s outfit, realizing it is the exact same clothes he’s always worn since they met.

“This photo here,” she points to the one Liam is still admiring, “my grandmother told me is the last picture of Louis, taken just two days before he died.” She turns to Niall, leaning in to say, “Good looking fella, my uncle.  Don’t you think?”

“He’s a dish,” Niall blushes.

Liam spends another half hour taking pictures and handwritten notes, hoping it will suffice when he passes it on to Louis. He thanks Professor Hastings for her time when he’s finished up, forever grateful that she lent a hand in the research process.

“I’m curious to see where you’ll be going with this,” she tells Liam as he’s leaving with his friends.

“How do you mean, Professor?”

“I meant, if you’re going to publish this information about my great-uncle, I’d like to see what you’ve written.”

“I’ll be sure to show it to you, but I don’t intend for it to be published,” Liam assures her. “I suppose it’s selfish to say I've been doing this for myself, but it's for Louis, too.”

“But why did you wait until now to do this, of all times?”

“He told me he thinks his time on Earth is almost up. I haven't been ready to let him go for so long because I always needed him and,” Liam pauses, his voice turning soft, “I think it’s only fair that I finally give him his peace.”

Professor Hastings gives him a curt nod. “When you see my great-uncle,” she adds, excited, “could you tell him I said hello?”

Liam’s lip curls into a smile. “He’d be delighted.”

—

Weeks after the meeting with Professor Hastings, Liam is back home for the summer. He holds in his hands a small leather bound journal Niall had stitched up for him, as a gift for all his hard work. Although Liam profusely thanked her, it led to a kiss on the lips from Niall; lingering, sweet, and enough to keep Liam blushing every time he thinks about it. She’s yet to confess her feelings to Liam, but he keeps an open mind, hoping she won’t turn him away.

“Do you want us to go with you?” Niall asks. She, Harry, and Zayn all tagged along with Liam to the edge of the woods, more on the lines of caution rather than curiosity.

“I think it’s best if you stayed here,” Liam replies. “I’m not sure how Louis will feel about visitors.” Niall nods in understanding. This has been Liam’s journey for the past few months and Niall is sure it’ll bring the closure Louis needs for Liam to bring him home.

“Best get going,” Harry looks at his watch. “Sun’s about to go down.”

“If I don’t come back after the sun sets,” Liam turns to Niall, “just wait a little longer.”

“We’ll still be here, I promise.” Niall gives him a kiss on the cheek, blushing when he gives her a smile.

Zayn claps a hand on Liam’s shoulder in assurance, then looks towards the sea of high tree trunks and low branches. It’s nearly the end of the day, when the sun sets much later in the evening. There’s always been a comfort in Liam’s heart when he meets Louis in darkness, his ghostly glow clearer than it would be in the daylight.

Liam takes a deep breath and clutches the journal to his chest. “You can do this,” Niall whispers. Harry and Zayn give him a nod, and it gets Liam to put one foot in front of the other.

—

Flickers of the early sunset seep through the branches of the cherry trees, shining into Liam’s eyes, the fruit swaying against the soft breeze. Liam is in awe of the bounty before him, carefully touching the smooth bright red skin, almost too beautiful to eat. Fresh blossoms carpet the ground, the petals soft and easily bruised from the weight of his shoes.

The sky changes into a hue of bright oranges and yellows, its searing colours delicate against the passing clouds. A strong wind billows through the branches, a few of the cherries falling from their stems and onto the ground. The branches above Liam continue to rustle despite the wind having come and gone, an inkling that someone else is with him.

“I know it’s you, Louis,” Liam holds back a smile. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot startles him, but he soon feels the familiar mist travel behind and around him.

“And I know it is you,” Louis laughs as he appears. Liam waits until he can fully see Louis, running to give him a hug. “Young prince, you grow as you should every time we meet.”

“Are you calling me old?” Liam jokes, but Louis simply smiles. “I made something for you, by the way. My friends helped me put it together and I think you might like it.”

“Why, Liam, how lovely of you!” Louis says in thanks. Liam holds up the leather journal, but he’s hesitant to hand it over. “Are you so enamored with my gift that you would like to keep it for yourself?” Louis asks, amused.

“No, it’s just,” Liam looks up, “the last time we met, you said our time was limited even though I wanted you to stay.”

“It is true. You have been my only friend in the time I have been here, and I know you will no longer need me in your life to come.”

“Have you been waiting for me to forget about you before you left?” Liam asks in a whisper.

“If I were to hope you would forget me, I would have already done so,” Louis angrily replies, scaring Liam for the first time.  “Did you not think it would break my heart to see you come here and I was nowhere to be found? Or how awful I would feel if you called for me and I could not offer your heart the solace it often seeks?”

“No,” Liam’s lip trembles, trying not to cry.  “I didn’t think about that at all because I never thought I’d have to. And I don’t want you to think I’m forcing you to leave, not after all the work I put into this.” Liam grips the journal and Louis puts his hands over the cover, the cold radiating from his skin enough to freeze Liam’s fingertips.

“What gift could this be if it leaves you so distraught?”

“A gift containing information about your sisters,” Liam quietly tells him, and Louis’s glow suddenly brightens. “You told me you couldn’t leave until you knew what happened to them, so I did it for you. I looked up as much as I could find about them with my friends. It wasn’t as easy as I'd thought until I met one of the professors at my school,” Liam pauses, breathing in his excitement. “It turns out she’s a relative of yours, a great-niece! She even asked me to tell you she says hello.”

“Oh, Liam! This is wonderful, so wonderful!” Louis is over the moon, and in his enthusiasm, Liam finally hands over the leather journal. They sit together under a tree, and Louis grins as he looks through its pages, listening to Liam as he tells his friend everything he's learned.

After Louis’s death, his sisters were all taken in by an older woman, who raised them as her daughters and taught them to be proper ladies of society. Lottie and Felicite both married country gentlemen and led a fairly quiet life, bearing a whopping total of ten children combined. Phoebe had moved to Scotland with her husband on her twenty-first birthday, never to return. Daisy, however, sought out bigger dreams and moved to America. There, she became an actress with the stage name of Daisy Dawson, starring in comedies and musicals. She gave up the name years later, returning home with an American man named Franklin Hastings, with whom she raised two children.

They rise to their feet when Louis reaches the end of the journal, his lovely smile gone when his hand grazes a black and white photograph attached. It's a portrait of himself in his finest clothes, similar to what he wears now, although he was without the lush velvet dress coat and large top hat.

“I was quite young here. Twenty-one, at least,” Louis whispers when he looks at Liam.

“You’re just as young now,” Liam muses.

“Taken two days before my death,” he sadly reads the photo’s caption. “These memories of my family feel as though they happened just yesterday. I can only wonder what memories my sisters had of me as they grew older.”

“I can't speak for them, but I know some of my best memories were with you, Louis. Even though our meetings were short, they've been enough for me to always remember them.”

“And I will always remember you, young prince.”

“I like it when you call me a prince,” Liam blushes, “you are the only one."

“It is what you are, is it not?” Louis asks, making Liam smile. “My dear Liam, what a compendium you have gathered for me. I can do nothing but thank you for helping me learn the fate of my sisters.”

"I did it for you," Liam laughs a little, his eyes tearing up much to Louis’s concern. "You always helped me find my way home, Louis. It's time I helped you get there, too.”

Louis wipes away the tears that fall onto Liam’s cheeks, looking exactly like the little boy who strayed too far from his parents when he was five years old. Louis softly hums a song in Liam’s ear, singing of a boy’s heart that grew so large it became his home.

“Louis, your hands!” Liam gasps, pointing at them in shock as they turn from a ghostly porcelain to a pinky peach complexion. Louis is speechless at the transformation, touching his face before he puts his hands over Liam’s. The ice cold feeling of his fingers were gone, finally replaced with the warmth Liam had imagined for so long.

“Liam,” Louis whispers, his fingertips slowly vanishing in the palm of Liam’s hand. “It is time.”

“No!” he shouts, holding Louis close. “Don’t leave now, stay a little longer. Please, Louis.”

“I cannot control this, we mustn’t fight what is to end.”

The two friends hold each other for as long as they can, refusing to count down the seconds as Louis’s body slowly disappears. The warmth of Louis is already ingrained in Liam's mind, knowing he will never feel this kind of comfort from anyone again. The air between them soon grows thin, but Liam still holds on even when he feels Louis may no longer be there.

“Will I ever see you again?” Liam tearfully asks.

“I should hope so. If not in this life, then in the next. And all the ones after.”

“I’ll miss you, I always do.”

“And I shall miss you until we meet again.”

“Until then, Louis.”

“Farewell, my prince,” Louis’s voice vanishes into the air. “Farewell.”

With a soft breeze against Liam’s cheek, the sun has finally set, and Louis is gone. The journal beside Liam lies open, a whip of wind rustling the fresh leaves around him. The papers inside flip to its last page, an inscription appearing as it is being written.

A bevy of voices shouting Liam’s name hovers the air, realizing his friends are looking for him. Liam is in awe of the message and runs his hands over the page, the fresh ink staining the pad of his finger. A blossom lands near his feet, circling around him before he catches it with his hand. He presses the flower in the empty space between Louis's photograph and the inscription, the only physical reminders he will have of his dearest friend. Liam closes the journal with its leather fastener, reuniting with his friends when they find him.

"Did he make it?" Niall asks, biting the nail of her thumb in anticipation.

"Yeah," Liam smiles, taking one last look at the orchard. "He’s home."

***

_My prince,_

_After a century of loneliness, I know a heart as kind and caring as yours can only be my home._  
 _And there, you shall always find me._

_Your friend for all time,_  
 _Louis_


End file.
